Improvement in cotton-bale ties



.1. L. RANDOLPH.

Cotton-BaleTies. `No.149,605. PatemdAprilmymM.

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JZIC- a UNITED STATES PATENT OEEICE.

JAMES L. RANDOLPH, OF MARTIN SBURG, WEST VIRGINIA.

IMPROVEMENT IN COTTON-BALE TIES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 149,605, dated April 14, 1874; application filed February 14, 1874.

To atl 'whom 'it may concern: g

Beit known that I, JAMES L. RANDOLPH, of Martinsburg, in the county of Berkeley and State of VWest Virginia, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Gotton-Bale Tie; and I do hereby declare that the'following is a full and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings and to the letters of reference marked thereon.

This invention consists in providing a curved buckle adapted to receive the overlapped endsl of the band which binds the bale, with a bar adapted to guide and support a key while the same is being driven to place, for the purpose ofsecuring the bands, as Will be fully described hereinafter.

In the drawings, Figure l represents a per spective view of my improved bale-tie as applied to the ends of the band, Fig. 2, a side elevation ofthe same, and Figs. 3 and 4 perspective views of the buckle and securing-key. To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention7 I will now proceed to describe fully the construction and manner of using the same.

A represents a buckle, preferably stamped from a metallic strip, of suitable width, and provided with the side and end bars c a c c, as shown. It is provided, also, with the central bar c', and is curved from end to end into semicircular form, as shown. B represents a Wedge-shaped key, of proper material and size.

. (l C represent the ends of the band which surrounds the bale and binds the same.

The manner of using the tie is as follows: The bands are placed about the bale in the usual manner, and, after having been drawn tight, they are cut off the proper length, so that the ends will overlap a short distance. Their ends are then passed through the slots of the buckle, as shown, and securely fastened in place by driving the wedge-shaped key in between the bands and the central part of the buckle, as shown.

The key, it will be observed, is guided and supported in its movement by the central bar portion of the ends of the band which is within Y the lines of the buckle is bent up out of the horizontal line, and caused to assume a curved form, as shown, by which means the parts are made to interlock, so that they cannot be pulled asunder. The parts are held together partly by friction, but mainly by the bent form given to that part of the band within the buckle, which portion cannot pass beneath the bearing-edges of the buckle without being again bent and rebent upon abrupt curve linesan action which the rigidity of the metal will not permit.

The described tie is exceedingly simple in its construction, and yet it is exceedingly effective in securely uniting the parts. t

If desired, the small end. of the key may be bent over when the latter is in place, to make accidental displacement impossible.

A n ail or piece lof wood may be employed, if desired, for the securing-key.

After the key is driven to place, the ends of the buckle may be turned down and flattened by a blow with hammer or stone.

A flat buckle may be used, if desired, -by properly bending the ends of the strip so as to insert them.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desireto secure by Letters Patent, isv The buckle described, consisting of three parallel bars with intervening slots and two transverse bars, in combination with the band and key, as described.

This s'pecication signed and witnessed this 9th day of February, 1874.

Witnesses: JAMES L. RANDOLPH.

B. S.- KILMEE, D. S. GRIFFITH. 

